Improvement in corn-planters



' J. W. VANDIVER Corn Planter.

Patented Opt. 6,-1863.

Iwentov W Iii mjwess as N.PEI'ERS, PHOTO-LITNOGRAFHER, WASHINGTON, D c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN IV. VANDIVER, 0F SHELBINA, MISSOURI.

IMPROVEMENT IN CORN-PLANTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 40,202, dated October6, 1863.

chine embodying my invention. Fig.2 is a lo'ngitudinal sectionalelevation of the same in line new of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan or topview of Fig. 1'. Fig. 4 is a detached sectional view of one of thehoppers, seed-conducting tubes, and accessories, the section being takenin the line 3 y of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detached sectional view of thesame, taken in the line 2 z of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a horizontal section ofa seedcondueting tube, taken in the line 1 1 of Figs. 4 and 5,1ookingdown. Fig. 7 is asimilar view of the-same in line 2 2 of Figs. 4 and 5,looking down.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the severalviews.

The object of this invention is to obtain a machine which may be readilyadapted and with like efiiciency for planting in either new or oldground; and it consists in certain novel devices and combinations,hereinafter fully explained.

To enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains tofully understand and construct the same, I will proceed to describe it.

A and B in Figs. 2 and 3 represent two parts of a frame, which ismounted in front on a pair of runners, O, and in the rear on a pair ofwheels, D, the peripheries of which latter are of concave form. The twoparts of the frame are connected together by pivots or bolts a, so thatthey are free to rise and fall or move independently of each other in avertical direction. The runners O, besides carrying the forward end ofthe frame, serve also to form the furrows in the ground for the seed,and for this purpose they are furnished in front with a sharpcutting-edge, and at their rear end with two outwardly-flaring wings,the former to penetrate and the latter to open the soil.

On the rear part of the forward section, A, of the frame, at each side,a seed-box, E, is

placed, and depending from this seed-box and connecting at its lower endwith the outwardly-fiaring wings of the runner is a seed-conductingtube, F, which may be in the form represented in the accompanyingdrawings, or of any other suitable form. The bottom of each seed-box Ehas an opening made in it corresponding with the opening in theconducting-tube F. Adapted to slide over this opening between guides inthe bottom of the seedbox is a short metal slide, a, which has two roundholes made in it at equal distances from a transverse slot which passesthrough the slide, and is adapted to receive the upper end of a forkedbar or valve, which is arranged in each of the seed-conducting tubes F.Each of the metal slides a work beneath a metal plate, I), which isconfined at its ends, and provided on each side of a'central cross-bar,c, with an oblong rectangular opening, alter nately through which theseed passes from the hopper into the round holes or the metal slide a asthey are exposed. The cross-bar c has a strip of india-rubber or othersuitable material bent overit and secured so as to have its lower edgesrest upon the metal slide a for the purpose of removing the surplusgrain from the slide as it is moved over the conducting-tube to depositthe seed contained in its seed-openings into the ground. The slides a ofboth of the seed-boxes E are connected together by a bar, H, which hastwo holes made in it, equidistant from the center, to receive the lowerend of a hand-lever, I, by means of which the attendant, riding on theforward partot' the machine,is enabled to move the seed-slides a in bothhoppers simultaneously. The lever I has its fulcrum in one of two holesin the seat J, in either of which holes it may be placed, according asit is desired to operatethedropping mechanism with the right or lefthand.

In each conducting-tube F an upright bar, 01, forked at its lower end,is pivoted at S and connected at its upper end with the seed-slide a,from which it receives an oscillating motion, in manner clearly shown inFigs. 4 and 5.

Below the forked end of the upright bar or valve (1 strips of metal ortongues e are attachedone to each side of the tube F in a centralposition. These tongues are slightly bent inward at their lower ends,and occupy but a little space in the center of each side of the tube, asclearly shown in Figs. 5 and 7, for the purpose hereinafter explained.

To each side of a standard, K, depending from the frame A, a bar, f,terminating at its rear end in a covering-share, g, is attached by apivot, t, and the rear ends of the bars f of each tube are connected bya cross-bar, j, and suspended by a link or rod, it, from the outer endof a lever, l, which is fulcrumed at its inner end to the frame A. Thelevers I, about midway of their length, are each connected to anotherlever, m, which stands at right angles to it, and these levers m arepivoted at their forward end to the seed-hoppers, and extend back towithin convenientreach ofa person sitting on theseatoftheframeB.Thelongitudinalpieces of the forward section, A, of the main frameproject some distance behind the hopper E, and form scrapers forremoving dirt or weeds adheringto the outside of the covering-sharesg.

Attached to opposite ends of a shaft, L, which is supported in suitableboxes on the back partof the frame B, are two scrapers, n, adapted toconform to the concavity of the peripheries of the wheels. When notrequired for use these scrapers a may be turned back out of the way bythe driver by means of an arm, M, which projects from the shaft L.

The machine above described is adapted for planting in old ground.

To adapt the same machine for planting in new or sod ground I attach acutter, N, of the form represented in Figs. 4 and 5, to the bottom ofthe runners 0 by bolts 0 and p, as shown clearly by dotted lines in Fig.2, and fill in the space between the flaring wings of the runners andwings q, terminating the rear portion of the cutter N, with strips ofwood 4*, which may be attached by a screw passing through the shell ofthe conducting-tubes, or in any other suitable manner. These strips ofwood 1' are designed simply to prevent the seed descending theconducting-tubes from falling outside of the cutter when planting insodground. The only other change necessary in the machine to adapt itfor planting in sodground is to hoop the wheels. This is done by tiresmade in two or more parts, which are secured to the wheels by boltspassing through the fellies of the same, as clearly shown by dottedlines in Fig. 2. The object in having these tires on the wheels is toroll the sod flat after the seed is deposited in the ground.

The operation is a follows: As the machine is drawn along over theground an attendant on the front part of the frame A operates the leverI back and forth, and said lever, through the medium of theconnecting-rod H, gives a reciprocating motion to the slides a and theseed is distributed from the seed-boxes E alternately through the holesin the slides ainto the conducting-tubesF, thenceinto the ground. As theseed from each opening in the slide a descends in the conducting-tube Fit is caught between the forked end of the valve (1 and tube F andretained in that position until the slide a is moved in the oppositedirection, when it is released by the valves moving to the opposite sideof the tube, a portion of the seed falls on each side of the tonguedirectly into the furrow made by the runners, and another portion fallsonto the tongue and is glanced to the opposite side of the tube, and asthe valves are attached at their upper ends to the slides a they willvibrate and the seed that passes down between them and the metal stripsor tongues 0 will be discharged at opposite sides of the tube, and theseed of each dropping scattered in the hills. The scattering of the seedin the hills is very important, as each stall; has sufficient room toexpand and grow properly, the roots being kept comparatively free fromits fellows in the same hill. The shares cover the seed and the rollercompresses the earth on the same in rounded form.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim as new,-an-d desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. Constructing the frame A so that the longitudinal beams thereof shallform scrapers tor the hinged coverer-shares g, in the manner described.7

2. The combination of the hinged coverers g with the levers land m, whenarranged as described, so that a person riding upon the rear part of theframe is enabled to raise or lower the coverers on both sides of themachine independent of one another and of the runners, in the mannerspecified.

3. The forked barsorvalves d, pivoted within the seed-conducting tubes Fand connected with the seed-distributing slides a. in combination withthe metal strips or tongues e, attached on opposite sides and below thevalve to the inner sidesof the conducting-tubes F, substantially as andfor the purposes set forth.

4. Fitting a rim or tire to the wheels of a corn-planter in sections, sothat it can be put on or taken off, according as aflat or concave treadis needed to adapt the machine for planting in sod or old ground, in themanner and for the purpose specified.

5. The detachable sod-cutters N, attached by means of bolts 0 p to therunners C, in combination with the same, and the wooden strips 9 in theseed-conducting tube F, in the manner and for the purpose specified.

JOHN W. VANDIVER.

Witnesses:

JAMEs H. GRIDLEY, R. H. MAYHEW.

